How Scottish Labour MPs voted on disability cuts bill

SCOTTISH Labour overwhelmingly backed the UK Government’s plans to cut a disability benefit.

Keir Starmer saw off a rebellion which saw 47 Labour MPs vote against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its final reading in the Commons on Thursday night.

The bill will increase the basic Universal Credit standard allowance at least in line with inflation until 2029/30.

But the Government has proposed freezing the “limited capability for work” (LCW) part of the benefit until 2030 – a measure which triggered a separate rebellion of 37 Labour MPs.

New claimants who sign up for the “limited capability for work and work-related activity” payment would receive a lower rate than existing claimants after April 2026, unless they meet a set of severe conditions criteria or are terminally ill, which the same rebels also opposed.

Rachael Maskell, who helped see off proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payments that the Government was forced to take out of the bill, said: “No matter what spin, to pass the bill tonight, this will leave such a stain on our great party, founded on values of equality and justice.”

LibDem MP Christine Jardine (below) lost her role in the party’s front bench as Scotland spokesperson for voting against a Tory-led amendment to the bill.

A party spokesperson said the official position was to abstain, as “a vote against was effectively a vote to implement this shambolic bill in full”.

They added: “Instead LibDems voted to oppose the welfare bill altogether. Christine decided to take a different view and therefore is no longer on the front bench.”